Multiple Personality

Tonight’s impressive solo-ettes belonged to Ade and Phillip, with honorable mention to Kayla, Brandon and Evan. Actually, Evan was even more impressive in the up-front montage that included his strange and high jump in the zoot suit. Cat is dressed for a very hip prom, perhaps at Hollywood High (with a belt from an S&M shop on Melrose). Tonight’s guest judge is the Queen of Kindness, Mia Michaels. In the continuing effort to make the show about the judges instead of the dancers, they spent an inordinate amount of time on Mia’s revised opinion of Brandon. Yawn.

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What to say about tonight’s opening number? Well…the part that wasn’t Cinemax After Dark porn inspired by Flashdance or the Pussycat Dolls was pretty good. I’m glad they were able to stop dry (or wet) humping long enough to dance half the time. (I sound like a prude, huh? I’m not…I just have separate categories in my head for dance and, um, recreation…if you follow my euphemism. I’m actually rather surprised that it was choreographed by Nappy and Tabby; I usually rely on them for content and taste. Oh well…eveyone’s entitled to take a ride on the Tyce Diorio Crazy Train periodically. Cat continued the theme by coming out in hostess pajamas that were clearly designed for a 1970s wife-swap party. Party on, Cat.

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We’re starting to get to know the dancers’ personalities more, so the standouts in the opening dance bits aren’t just those who are technically extraordinary, there’s also a mix of who is standing out emotionally. But Kayla and Evan are still the big standouts. And Vitolio and Melissa made a mark too. Cat is in her pumpkin toga, all set to celebrate Roman Halloween. Toni Basil is the guest judge tonight. What up that hat, Toni honey? She is talking about the history of Locking and Hip Hop. What the hell is she talking about? Nigel isn’t wearing a tie, and Mary is wearing her breasts.

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I don’t have a lot of time to blog tonight, so brief points:

Mia Michaels sure can be a fantastic choreographer. I don’t think I want to have lunch with her, but I would spend hours watching numbers as rich and textured as her opening dance tonight.

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Stand-outs in the opening dance bits are Evan, Kayla and Phillip, with E for effort to Ade and Jason. Cat came out more gift-wrapped than dressed. Perhaps that was the outfit Allen Carr wore when he screened Can’t Stop the Music for Liza. (Too obscure a reference?) Tonight’s guest judge is extraphonic vocabulosticator, Li’l C.

Randi and Evan
It’s Jive time, choreographed by Louis Van Amstel. That was pretty awesome. (more…)

It’s funny watching an opening number with a Top 20 that I’m not really familiar with: I only completely recognized Tony (cuz he so tall) and Phillip Habeeeeeeeb. That guy is krazy. (And I could understand him being able to twist his foot back that way, but all those girls could do it too?) Anyway, the number got a little Cirque du Soleil for me toward the end, but it had some good end-of-the-world dystopia going on. Gotta love that. I wonder if it was done by Mia pre-valium, or maybe Wade in a normal mood. Oh…it was Shane Sparks.

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It’s a new year, kids, and I’m ready to swish away all the flotsam of the auditions and get down to it. The intro dance snippets showed a few nice leg extensions on the girls, but all the excitement was on the boy side: Brandon, Evan, Jason, Phillip and Vitolio. Of course, this show isn’t all about the solos, so let’s find out who survives their couples dances.

It’s nice to see Cat back with something to do, dressed in haute spider web. Adam Shankman is the third judge tonight, and my suspicious little mind wonders if he’s been chosen to appease the gay audience in light of Nigel’s recent transgressions. But unless he starts talking homo-smack again, I’m ready to stop talking about it.

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Mia Michaels is not winning any brownie points with me. I appreciate her choreography, her artistry, and her passion. But I am so sick of the bullying that dancers have traditionallly tolerated in this business, and she epitomizes that flagrant abuse. Li’l C is coming in a close second, but his seems more the obliviousness of hip-hop bravura, if I’m not being politically incorrect in saying that. But Mia should know better, being as “sensitive” as she presents herself. (more…)

I’ll be relieved when we enter the competitive Top 20, so there isn’t all this extra filler and forced drama.

One thing I am reminded of, watching Vegas Week especially. There is this horrible, longstanding tradition wherein choreographers somehow feel they have the right to disrespect dancers.

In that same vein, Mia Michaels still needs therapy.

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I don’t know if it’s the ratio of filler over content, or the advancing homo-squeamishness of Nigel, but I haven’t Felt the Joy so far yet this season. Perhaps tonight, with the sunny Adam Shankman on the judges panel, the worm shall turn.

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